The Ten Gods

十神 · Your Chart's Cast of Characters

Once you know your Day Master, every other character in your chart takes one of ten roles. These roles — the Ten Gods (十神) — are the grammar of BaZi: they name the relationship between you and each of the other seven characters. Same character, different Day Master, different role. Here is the cast, in plain terms, grouped by how each role treats you.

The two self-poles: Peer and Rival

Peer (比肩, Companion) — same element and same polarity as you. Siblings, teammates, mirror-images. Healthy competition and standing your ground.
Rival (劫财, Rob Wealth) — same element, opposite polarity. The competitive sibling: shared money, shared goals, and the drive that can be generous or impulsive.

The two outputs: what you create

Creative Output (食神, Eating God) — the gentle expression: your talent, craft and enjoyment. Hands and words that produce.
Sharp Expression (伤官, Hurting Officer) — the bright, rebellious voice: wit, artistry and an instinct to push against rules and routines.

The two wealths: what you manage

Steady Wealth (正财, Direct Wealth) — steady income, savings, commitments; the resources you tend carefully.
Windfall Wealth (偏财, Indirect Wealth) — deals, bonuses, opportunistic gains; bigger money with bigger swings.

The two officers: what presses on you

Responsibility (正官, Direct Officer) — healthy order: duty, reputation, discipline and visible progress through structure.
Challenge (七杀, Seven Killings) — pressure and ambition: high stakes, decisive moves, a will that hardens under fire.

The two resources: what carries you

Support (正印, Direct Resource) — nourishment and protection: study, credentials, mentors and care.
Insight (偏印, Indirect Resource) — unconventional wisdom: research, intuition, spirituality and original thinking.

Why the roles matter more than the characters

The Ten Stars are what make two identical-looking charts read completely differently. Take our running example, born 15 March 1995 with Day Master Yi (Yin Wood): the year stem 乙 is a Peer (same element), the month stem 己 is Windfall Wealth (Earth, which Wood manages), and the hour stem 辛 is Challenge (Metal, which controls Wood). Change the Day Master and every label swaps.

Readers also map the Ten Stars onto life roles loosely — Wealth to money matters, Responsibility and Challenge to career and authority, Peer and Rival to siblings and partners, Creative Output to children and creative work, Support to education and mentors. The mapping is traditional, but it is a conversation starter, not a census.

No star is a verdict

A chart heavy in Challenge is not "doomed" — it is a chart that learns to perform under pressure. A chart thin on Steady Wealth is not "poor" — it is a chart that must manage money deliberately. The Ten Stars describe relationships and tendencies, and every imbalance has a complement that life eventually teaches.

Cast your chart — every one of your eight characters is labeled with its Ten Star role in English.